International pact limiting export of cybersecurity products

Recently news of Obama administration’s decision to renegotiate an international pact that limits the export of cybersecurity products, please find comment below from Rapid7. The reversal follows months of pressure from the technology community and lawmakers who warned the vague definitions within the agreement would restrict companies’ ability to use legitimate tools to test and fortify their own defences.

Harley Geiger, Director of Public Policy at Rapid7, had this to say:

“It’s very positive news that the Administration intends to renegotiate the
Wassenaar Arrangement export controls on cybersecurity tools. As written, the
Arrangement would hinder routine cybersecurity activities and harm beneficial
security research, and these problems could not be properly addressed through
domestic rules alone because cybersecurity is a global endeavour that involves
information sharing across borders. We hope that revisions to the Wassenaar
cybersecurity controls are comprehensive and address not just the definition of
“technology”, but also the definition of “intrusion software” and the restrictions
on systems and software that interact with “intrusion software.” These controls are
overbroad and would undermine cybersecurity.”